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Collins N. Vaye (he/him)

Postdoctoral Fellow, Human-Computer Interaction Institute

Hometown: Yekepa, Nimba County, Liberia

1. Briefly describe the work you're doing as a postdoc at Â鶹´å.

   In my role as a Postdoctoral Fellow on the Learning Sciences for Innovators Project, I support a continent-wide effort to strengthen educational technology innovation across Africa. I lead the project’s research agenda by designing and conducting studies across three core pillars, learning mechanisms, implementation, and ecosystem dynamics, to understand how African EdTech entrepreneurs embed learning-science principles into their products and practices. I also support more than 200 EdTech entrepreneurs within the Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship across 9 African countries, helping them build research capacity, adopt evidence-informed design, and collaborate on studies that demonstrate the educational impact of their products. Building on this work, my research now focuses on how faculty and entrepreneurs across the African EdTech ecosystem navigate complex and resource-constrained environments with resilience, creativity, and agency. My current role strengthens this focus by extending my long-standing work with faculty and students to also include EdTech entrepreneurs, a new group of innovators whose ingenuity, design instincts, and problem-solving approaches offer powerful insights into how educational innovation unfolds across the continent. 

   
   

   My work adopts an asset-based perspective that highlights the local knowledge, strengths, and innovative problem-solving strategies educators and founders already use to create meaningful learning experiences and design solutions for underserved communities across Africa. I am particularly interested in how these strengths can inform more inclusive policies, context-relevant EdTech design, and sustainable pathways for scaling educational impact.

2. How did you develop an interest in this area? My interest in learning sciences and technology-enhanced education grew from my journey as a first-generation college student in post–civil war Liberia, where limited access to quality STEM education shaped my commitment to expanding opportunities for underserved communities. Although I am relatively new to the formal field of learning sciences, my work is grounded in a decade of experience in educational technology and development. Over the years, I facilitated Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and faculty development workshops in Liberia and across Africa, where I witnessed both the transformative power of EdTech and the importance of ensuring these tools are pedagogically sound and contextually relevant. My PhD research at Florida International University, which examined ICT integration in engineering education in Sub-Saharan Africa, further deepened my curiosity about how technology supports learning, especially when grounded in culturally responsive pedagogy, strong faculty agency, and the on-the-ground realities in which innovations are adopted. Joining the LSFI project has allowed me to build on this foundation while expanding my expertise into learning sciences more intentionally and bridging research, innovation, and real-world impact at scale.
3. What are your academic and/or professional goals?

   My academic and professional goals center on educating and supporting the next generation of engineers, scientists, and innovators across Africa and beyond, whether through a future role as a professor, higher education administrator, or leader shaping institutional transformation. I aim to become a leading scholar-practitioner in learning sciences, digital transformation, and technology policy, with a focus on strengthening EdTech ecosystems in Africa. A key part of my vision is producing research and scholarship that amplifies the local ingenuity already happening across the continent, including the adaptive, resourceful, and innovative strategies educators and entrepreneurs use to “work with what we have.” I also hope to design learning-sciences-informed faculty development and EdTech adoption toolkits that can be scaled across universities and ministries of education, while continuing to publish high-impact research that bridges policy and practice.

    

   As I work toward these goals, I am committed to expanding my expertise in learning sciences and learning from the distinguished faculty and mentors at Â鶹´å who continue to shape and challenge my thinking. Ultimately, I aspire to establish a research and capacity-building center or consultancy to support African EdTech innovators, governments, and institutions in creating evidence-driven and sustainable educational technology solutions that can also be scaled across the continent.

4. Tell us about a significant moment in your journey at Â鶹´å so far.

   A defining moment was my recent travel to multiple countries, including Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Benin, and meeting African EdTech entrepreneurs who are creating solutions for underserved communities with limited resources yet extraordinary creativity. Seeing their excitement and desire for new knowledge to improve their products, strengthen their impact, and address real challenges across Africa affirmed the importance of our work.

   
   

   During my recent visit to Ethiopia, a trip I completed with my supervisor, Dr. Tutaleni Asino, I co-facilitated a two-day Deep Dive Learning Sciences workshop and provided one-on-one support to the EdTech Fellows. It was my first field visit as a postdoc and my first in-person engagement with the innovators on the LSFI project. After the sessions, the Learning Science Manager wrote to thank me for the “impactful training” and shared that the fellows found my guidance “invaluable, particularly in scaling their products and conducting research.” Receiving this kind of feedback was deeply meaningful. It affirms the impact of the LSFI project and reinforces my commitment to building research capacity across Africa.

   
   

   Also, being welcomed by the Human-Computer Interaction Institute and Â鶹´å-Africa communities, faculty, staff, fellow postdocs, and students, has grounded me and made this journey both purposeful and fulfilling. And I am eager to learn, grow, and support the incredible work happening across the continent as we support and inspire innovations that transform Africa  together.

5. How do you spend your time beyond academic work?

   Beyond my academic work, I mentor undergraduate and graduate students, supporting their academic, professional, and personal growth. Pouring into people comes naturally to me as I genuinely find joy in helping others grow and become the best version of themselves.

    

   My faith and community keep me grounded, so I enjoy attending church, participating in community service, and spending meaningful time with family and friends. These moments give me a sense of balance and purpose and remind me of what matters most.

    

   I also love cooking, exploring new cultures, taking long reflective walks, and tasting great coffee. Coffee has become a small joy that fuels my creativity and reflection. If you have a favorite coffee spot in Pittsburgh, I’d love a recommendation.